Metasonix continues to build one-of-a-kind effects with raunchy, make-your-parents-blush names. No nonsense about tubes providing warm, wonderful sounds. Take the first tube, a vintage model from devices like military radios:

“We use it as a preamp—a BAD preamp. The SCROTUM knob controls input volume badly. No, you can’t turn it fully down. This is intentional because it interacts with the DOUBLE SCROTUM switch. Turning down SCROTUM won’t silence the awful noise and oscillation. It just makes the TM-7 howl and scream at various pitches, intermodulating with your lovely sweet guitar tone. Ha ha ha. Scrotum.”

Two more vacuum tubes and a feedback loop later, well … it’s easier to hear than describe. Our friend, musician, bender, and experimentalist Chachi Jones, has launched a new video blog for the hip San Francisco music gear shop Robotspeak. He tests the TM-7 Scrotum Smasher in a new clip. Cross your legs before watching, gentleman readers:

I have no problem making any signal distorted – in more ways than this device. Why would I want to pay for a device to do it?

(the device's title reminds me of a game I did last year. It was based on a TV game show where a contestant would be subjected to torture in the same area. I recorded various crowds yelling: "Ohhhh… myyyy Baawwwllllsss."

http://www.createdigitalmusic.com Peter Kirn

Well, hey, I'll defend Metasonix. Of course there are other ways of abusing sound, many of which I love. I think of these boxes as strange pieces of sound art, really, from the unusual components to the obscene labels. I'm not sure I would buy them, and I'm not endorsing buying them — my own preference is to design sounds from raunchy to delicate using software and found gear. But they're interesting sound objects, nonetheless. And given the work that goes into designing and building them, I certainly respect Metasonix selling them. In a way, it's a kind of an amusing ****-you to the musical instruments / audio industry, and it can be appreciated as what it is.

GNostic

Such….fat…..basss….at…..zero…input….volume

bliss

Wicked! I guess I have no need for condoms now…

gimme a J

I have a hard time distinguishing between the various Metasonix sound destroyers. They have a few "different" boxes that mangle your sound horribly. What's the diff?